GL - Movie Night - Part 34
Title: Movie Night
Author: critic2000
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Rating: PG-13 to start, for violence (non-sexual) and language. I am not any kind of a medical expert so if there are some glaring errors, please forgive me.
Disclaimer: I don’t own the Guiding Light characters, they belong to CBS and Proctor and Gamble.
Summary: This is set in the spring of 2009. I’ve taking some liberties with the storyline, mainly Natalia never slept with Frank, hence no engagement etc. So our girls have been just continuing forward raising Emma and getting closer to each other though they are still technically just friends, but that will change… This is a hurt/comfort story so they are headed on a rough ride.
Author’s Note: This is my first fan fiction so please be gentle. This would not have been possible if not for the persistent nudging and awesome editing of my beta/great friend croftlara. Comments are welcome.
( Part 1 ) ( Parts 2 & 3 ) ( Part 4 ) ( Parts 5 & 6 ) ( Part 7 ) ( Part 8 ) ( Part 9 ) ( Part 10 ) ( Part 11 ) ( Part 12 ) ( Part 13 ) ( Parts 14 & 15 ) ( Part 16 ) ( Part 17 ) ( Part 18 ) ( Part 19 ) ( Part 20 ) ( Part 21 ) ( Part 22 ) ( Part 23 ) ( Part 24 ) ( Part 25 ) ( Part 26 ) ( Part 27 ) ( Part 28 ) ( Part 29 ) ( Part 30 ) ( Part 31 ) ( Part 32 ) ( Part 33 )
Chapter 34
Shortly after Olivia dug into her sundae Buzz made to leave claiming he had to get back to Company because they were short staffed.
“Thanks Buzz, sorry if we got you into trouble with Lillian,” Olivia said around a mouthful of ice cream.
“I think I’ll be alright.” He leaned over Natalia, “If you need anything kiddo, just call. I’ll come back and see you tomorrow, maybe with more potatoes and bread but no ice cream. Okay?”
“Sounds good. Thank you.”
Buzz leaned in to kiss Natalia on the cheek then moved over to Olivia to kiss her as well and whispered, “You take care of yourself lady, you hear?”
Olivia nodded.
“Hey!” Olivia said as he started to walk away. “I haven’t paid you for the food yet.”
Buzz got a disgusted look on his face and waved his hand at her, “Don’t you dare even try. See you tomorrow!” He called back as he left the room.
Natalia looked at Olivia who seemed to be enjoying her ice cream, “That was very sweet of him and of you. Thank you.”
“Yes it was and you’re welcome. Hey ya wanna spoonful of my sundae?”
“Are you trying to get me in trouble again?”
“It’s really good,” Olivia tempted.
Natalia gave in, “Yeah okay but quickly before she comes back.”
Olivia stood up and moved over to the bed and fed Natalia two spoonfuls before her friend shook her head that it was enough, “Mmm, thanks.” Then looking at the clock she realized it was almost two, “Is Emma coming by today?”
Olivia was throwing out the empty ice cream container but turned back to answer, “I told her I’d let her know if you felt up to it.”
“I feel up to it, call her.” It wasn’t a question or a request, it was a demand so Olivia did just that, moving to the phone she dialed Jane’s number. A few short minutes later she hung up, “They’re on their way.”
“Great. Do you mind going to see if you can find Lillian? I’d like to use the bathroom, get this bandage changed and me into my new pajamas before Emma gets here.”
Olivia did as asked and found the nurse. Lillian had just finished with the pajamas when Jane and Emma arrived with a knock at the door.
Olivia opened the door and Emma ran past her to the bed. “Natalia! How are you feeling today?” Not waiting for a response Emma climbed up on the chair as she had the day before, “Mommy help me.”
Olivia was just dismissing Jane to the waiting room when she heard Emma ask for help.
She got to the chair and helped Emma lean over to kiss and hug Natalia.
“I missed you,” Emma said as she sat down in the chair.
“I missed you too, what have you been up to today?” Natalia asked.
While Emma started telling a story about going to the park and playing on the swings, a grinning Lillian walked by and gave the child a kiss on the head before taking Olivia’s arm and encouraging her to walk out into the hallway with her.
“What’s up Lillian?” Olivia asked once they were out of hearing distance from the room.
“I heard you called Natalia in the night after a bad dream,” Lillian said without accusation or reproach. “Are you okay?”
Olivia looked embarrassed, “I’m okay, thank you.”
“I hope so. I’m glad that you’re staying with Jeffrey and Reva. Give yourself time Olivia.”
Changing the subject Olivia asked, “Natalia’s doing okay, isn’t she?”
Lillian smiled genuinely, “She’s doing really well, I think by the end of the week Dr. Gunn will release her.”
“Oh that’s good news,” Olivia said though her smile didn’t quite make it to her eyes. Release her to where? We don’t really have a home right now and I’m not in much shape to take care of her.
Lillian could see Olivia was concerned about something, “She’ll need a nurse to check on her and change her bandages otherwise by then she’ll be able to walk around a bit more, she’ll just need rest.” Lillian put her hand on Olivia’s arm to reassure her, “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine…you’ll be fine.”
“I hope so.”
Lillian hugged Olivia before walking away to check on her next patient.
When Olivia re-entered the room and sat in the new reclining chair, that had been brought in while she was in the gift shop earlier, Natalia sensed a change in her friend. Gone was the joking, silly woman from earlier, replaced by a brooding worried looking person that was becoming disturbingly familiar. I know I’m healing so Lillian wouldn’t have told her that I wasn’t doing well. Oh, wait. Maybe that’s what she told her, that was I getting better and Olivia is concerned about taking care of me. I hope she doesn’t think I’m going to be a burden. But I think we’re going to need to talk about home soon.
Emma kept talking and asking questions occasionally. Natalia half listened and answered when necessary but Olivia sat quietly in the chair lost in her thoughts.
“Mommy?” Olivia looked over at Emma, not sure of how long she had been sitting there.
“Yes Jellybean?” she answered.
“I’m thirsty.”
Natalia couldn’t help but smile, the child had been talking non-stop for an hour, it was no wonder she was thirsty.
Olivia rose from the chair, “Yeah, I forgot I’d bought some drinks.” She walked to the bag that once held the pajamas that Natalia was wearing and pulled out the two bottles of water and the juice.
“Can I have a water please?” Emma asked as she reached for a bottle.
“Here,” Olivia handed it over. “Natalia, did you want some juice or anything?”
“Thank you, actually juice sounds really good.”
Olivia opened the orange juice bottle and brought it over to Natalia who received it gratefully.
“Mommy, when are we going home?” Emma innocently asked over her bottle of water.
“Do you want me to get Jane? Are you ready to leave already?”
“No mommy to our house. The farmhouse!”
Olivia glanced at Natalia then looked back to a hopeful looking Emma before answering honestly, “I don’t know yet.”
“But I want to go home with you and Natalia, the ducks need to be fed.”
Olivia snapped, “The damn ducks will be fine on their own.” Shit. Olivia smacked herself in the forehead with the palm of her head while Emma began to tear up. Ouch, that hurt, probably not a good move with the headache.
Olivia reached for Emma to apologize. “Honey, I’m sorry, I just don’t have the answer for you yet.”
“But when will you know?” Emma tried to hold back her sniffling, “Why do I have to stay with Jane, can’t I stay with you?”
Natalia watched from her vantage point on the bed. She felt bad for Olivia who was clearly not ready to broach this subject. “Emma, I think your mom just needs to do some things and she wants you to be with her very, very soon.”
“Are you going to have another bad dream?” Emma asked her mom.
“I don’t know baby.” More honesty from Olivia.
“But if you do wouldn’t it be better if I was there to sing to you, so you don’t have to come and see me at Jane’s?”
Oh my baby, you are too smart and logical for your own good, too bad I’m just not capable of taking care of myself right now much less you and Natalia. “I want to try and sleep without the bad dreams before I have you with me. I know I scared you last night. I don’t want to do that again.” The statement was said to both Emma and Natalia though she directed it at her daughter.
Emma tried again, “But?”
“I just need you to trust me a little longer honey, just a little longer then the three of us will be together again okay?” Please let that be enough because this is killing me.
As much as Emma wanted her answers she could see her mother was uncomfortable so she chose to let it go for now and changed the topic. “Can I see daddy again?”
From the frying pan into the fire... Shit, shit, shit. What choice do I have? “Do you want your daddy to come read to you again?”
“Yes. But maybe I can go visit him at his house and see Granddad, Lizzie and James too!”
Fuck, I do not need Alan right now.
“Can I call him mommy?” Emma happily moved toward the phone.
“No!”
Emma jumped at the sharp reply.
“I just mean, I should call him and see if he’s busy.”
“Oh okay,” Emma said quietly.
Natalia had been watching this exchange and could clearly see on Olivia’s face that this was beginning to be too much. “Emma why don’t you go tell Jane to come here while your mommy calls your daddy. You know where the waiting room is?”
“Yep,” Emma replied as she took off out of the room.
Olivia looked at Natalia, “What the hell do I do now?”
“Call Phillip, tell him to come and pick her up and take her to his house for dinner but that he has to have her back to Jane’s before bedtime and that Emma will want him to read to her again. Just make it clear to him how it’s going to go because you’re not going to be there.”
“Wait, I can’t just let him take her and not be there.”
“You also can’t handle any additional stress right now, so you’re going to have to trust him.”
“I feel sick.”
“Olivia, look at me.”
When Olivia did as she was asked Natalia reached for her hand, took it and squeezed. “Have Jane call you after Phillip leaves so you know everything is fine. It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
Olivia started shaking her head as a single tear escaped. “What if he takes her?”
“He won’t.”
“But how do you know?” Olivia responded harshly.
“I have faith that he’s the man he says he is now. Has he done anything since he’s been back to make you question that?”
Olivia wanted to say yes but truthfully, Phillip had been honest and understanding, even caring. Fuck. Olivia reached for the phone and dialed Phillips cellphone number.
Phillip was ecstatic and agreed to every condition thanking her endlessly. When Olivia hung up the phone she bowed her head, “He’ll be here at four.”
Natalia squeezed the hand that she still held as Emma and Jane entered the room.
Jane and Natalia exchanged hellos before Olivia began to explain how the night was going to go. She asked Jane to call her when Phillip left but because Emma was there, suggested that it was so she could say goodnight to her daughter rather than verify that Phillip had done as he promised.
While Emma chatted with Natalia again, Olivia laid out a few more guidelines for Jane before the nanny left the hospital with her instructions.
Olivia was a ball of nerves waiting for Phillip; while Emma was so excited she could barely contain herself. Natalia simply prayed that everyone in this scenario would come out unscathed.
Before they knew it there was a knock at the door, Emma jumped from the chair she had been standing on again and ran to it throwing it open to reveal her father. “Daddy!” she jumped into his arms.
In the room Olivia unconsciously gravitated closer to Natalia, who wished she could have a minute with Phillip to explain how he and his family had better be on their best behaviour.
Phillip carried Emma into the room and put her down only so he could approach Natalia and give her a kiss on the cheek. “Hello Natalia. I hope you’re feeling better?”
“I am actually, I’m doing much better.”
“Glad to hear it, my father sends his regards for a speedy recovery.” He responded with a smile before turning to Olivia. “Thank you so much for calling me. I can’t wait to spend the evening with my little girl.”
She’s MY little girl Phillip, she doesn’t even know you! Olivia’s mind screamed. “She needs to be back at Jane’s before eight. And I want a phone call after dinner.”
“You’ll have it.” Phillip leaned in to whisper to Olivia so that Emma couldn’t hear, “I told you the other day, I get it now and I will jump through any hoop you ask me to for the chance to spend time with her, I want to be able to do this more often.”
“Let’s see how this goes first, shall we?”
Phillip gave Olivia a sad smile while he nodded. He didn’t blame her one bit for her reluctance but he did feel he deserved to spend time with his daughter.
“Emma honey, why don’t you say goodbye to Natalia and your mom and we’ll get going.”
An excited Emma climbed back on the chair and waited for Olivia to help her reach Natalia for a hug and a kiss. “I love you Em. We’ll see you tomorrow okay?”
“Love you too Natalia! See you later!”
Olivia grabbed Emma in a hug and squeezed so hard the child had to ask her mother to let go.
”I just love you so much baby.”
“I love you too mommy but you’re hurting me.”
“I’m sorry. Have fun with daddy, if you need me just call okay?”
“Okay, bye mommy, bye Natalia!” Emma took Phillip’s hand and let him lead her from the hospital room.
Olivia couldn’t help but cry. It was a big step to trust Phillip, God help him if he messed this up.
Natalia let a tear slide down her cheek as well. Even though she knew Emma would be fine she still hated seeing Olivia so upset.
Lillian walked into the room. “I just saw Phillip with Emma. That’s wonderful.” She hadn’t noticed the tears in the room at first but now that she had she softened. “Girls it’s going to be okay. Phillip wants nothing more than to get to know her; he’s not going to take her away.”
Olivia slumped down in the chair by the bed. Instinctively, Natalia reached out to touch her shoulder and caressed it with her thumb.
They really do care for each other. I wish they wouldn’t worry about Phillip, he’s not going to mess this chance up. “Natalia, we’re going to get you up for a walk and give you a chance to try out your fancy new slippers.”
“Right now?” Natalia asked as she glanced toward Olivia who appeared lost in her own world.
Lillian caught the meaning in her look. Better leave them alone for the moment… “Why don’t you two sort yourselves out and I’ll be back in a few minutes. I’m going to need your help Olivia.”
Olivia nodded absently.
Once Lillian left the room Natalia focused on Olivia. Without a word she moved her hand up to her worried friend’s head and began to stroke her hair. Olivia closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, accepting all the comfort that Natalia offered.
To Be Continued...